Cardiovascular Technician Programs in Maine
How to Become a Cardiovascular Technician in Maine and Cardiovascular Technician Programs in Maine
The heart is the center of the cardiovascular system in the human body. Due to its importance, there are medical specialties focused solely on it and the attached veins and arteries. Doctors specialize in the area of cardiovascular health. They may be surgeons or physicians. Helping them are nurses that have special training in the area of the cardiovascular system. What these nurses and doctors generally do not have training in is the area covered by a cardiovascular technician. They perform the technical work that helps other medical professionals treat patients for a variety of heart health problems. Here is how to become a cardiovascular technician in Maine.
To learn how to become a cardiovascular technician in Maine, you need to earn an Associate in Science degree focusing on cardiovascular technology. This degree program introduces a student to basic anatomy and physiology. With that core requirement met, students then move on to learning medical instrumentation, non-invasive testing procedures, cardiovascular physiology, heart rehabilitation/prevention, and basic pharmacology. Students can choose from two different education tracks: invasive and non-invasive. The invasive track is for those who want to help in the operating room or outpatient clinic. The non-invasive track focuses on teaching how to take ultrasounds of the cardiovascular system. Students take clinical hours to learn their work first hand.
The state of Maine has a growing need for cardiovascular technicians. As the population continues to age, the rate of cardiovascular problems continues to increase. To keep up with this trend, the Southern Maine Community College has developed a top line cardiovascular technician training course. This course trains technicians and provides them with an A.S. in Cardiovascular Technology. This is a five semester program which generally takes students about 21-22 months to complete. This program includes over 1200 hours of clinical practice to impart practical skills for the students before they graduate and enter the workforce. When it comes to cardiovascular technician programs in Maine, this is the only one.
While taking classes at SMCC, students will begin preparing for the CCI exam. CCI stands for Cardiovascular Credentialing International. It is an organization whose sole purpose is to provide credentials for cardiovascular technicians and related professions. Students start taking the first part of the CCI exam after completing their basic science classes. That part of the exam looks at Basic Science. Upon graduation, students are qualified to take the second part of the exam which tests them in their specialty of choice: cardiac sonography or cardiovascular invasive specialty.